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2018 Artist Spotlight: LuvAbstract

Feb 19, 2018

By: Rachel Hunt

While LuvAbstract's true identity may always remain a secret, the pseudonym chosen by the 25-year-old musician is getting plenty of attention. Ear Milk, College Music, and listeners in more than 57 countries have taken notice of his infectious electro-hop singles released independently over the course of the last year. His songs have gathered over 50k listens on Spotify, but one of the things he's most excited for is playing Brite Winter at 6:00 pm on the Cleveland Clothing Company Stage upstairs at Music Box!

We shot a few questions over to the mysterious LuvAbstract to learn a little bit more about him and his music.

Tell us a little bit more about yourself.

I'm LuvAbstract from Akron, Ohio. As a teenager, I was in bands and rap groups but nothing crazy; we pretty much recorded on Rockband with mics and a computer. Fast forward to my senior year of college. I was showing some of my friends my old tracks. One of my friends said, 'Why don't you actually try with music?' He explained that basement recordings are not trying. The next day I rented out a professional recording studio and LuvAbstract was born. Over the next few years, I started creating this new electro RnB/Alternative Pop sound for myself, and that's the version of LuvAbstract most people are familiar with.

Your music fluctuates between a few different genres. If you had to create a graph of your music or your influences, what would that creativity pie chart look like?

I'm really trying to carve my own sound within the alternative Pop and electro RnB world. So I'm glad you hear me moving in and out of genres! I absolutely love music! I listen to everything from Frank Sinatra to Migos. I was a wedding DJ for five years and also in show choir and musical theater in high school, so that may be another reason on why I flow through a few genres. I would say that structurally my music follows a traditional pop formula 33% of the time. Lyrically, there are hip-hop undertones and wordplay, but my messages have the sincerity of traditional RnB another 33%. The actual music is influenced by electro-pop 33%.

Several of your songs focus on themes of figuring out who you are and growing up. Do you feel like you're still working through those experiences yourself?

Most of my songs I have either experienced personally or I've witnessed them. I don't think any of us will ever realize ourselves, but as long as we are constantly trying to figure that out, we are good! For the songs I've personally experienced, I am absolutely still working through those feelings and emotions!

What makes a great party song to you? Your song "Risk" is serious and edgy but still such a jammer. How do you strike a good balance lyrically and melodically?

A good party song for me has multiple layers. For example, I absolutely love the song "Fun" by Kyle. On a surface level, the song is a nice pre-gaming song that is literally about having fun. But as the song goes on you start to realize what Kyle means when he says the word 'fun'. For me, my first concern is the message of the song. I strive to convey a message within the verses creatively. The pre-chorus and chorus is typically a catchy summary of the overall meaning of the song. I hope that you will get hooked by my choruses so that you will listen again and hear the actual story/message I'm telling.

What does "the Internet is not real" mean to you? Why is that slogan so prominent in your online presence?

I have a love/hate relationship with the Internet. On one side, the Internet could change the world. We can communicate with people in seconds. We could use Virtual Reality to change the medical field. We can do so much with this technology, but what do we really use it for? 'The Internet is not real' is just a subtle reminder that the way we use the Internet is not reality. I want people paying more attention than the average fan, to see that phrase and hopefully think deep about it and what it means to them.

I'm still very much proud of my growth online. My only goal originally was to get 100k streams on one song and I did that! But I really don't take social media seriously. If you look through my IG, you'll see my playfulness and the troll side of me. So, I guess my online presence is the embodiment of that phrase. The phrase is not reflected in my music at all, it's just a little Easter egg to make you think.

What are you looking forward to most about playing Brite Winter?

I am so excited for this show! This is my first show in Cleveland and it's my first major festival. From the past years, it seems like there is a lot of fun energy at Brite Winter! I'm looking forward to just performing in a new place for new people!